Audio 3:11
Toronto mayor admits to buying illegal drugs

Jane CowanUpdated
Thu 14 Nov 2013, 2:33 PM AEDT

Last week he admitted to smoking crack cocaine. Now Toronto's Mayor, Rob Ford, has confessed to buying illegal drugs while still in office. But Counsellors have failed to force the drug-scandal plagued mayor from office, despite voting overwhelmingly for him to step down.

Transcript

ELEANOR HALL: Now to the political standoff in Canada's Toronto City Council.

Last week he admitted to smoking crack cocaine. Now mayor Rob Ford has confessed to buying illegal drugs while in office.

But councillors have failed to force the drug-scandal plagued mayor from office, despite voting overwhelmingly for him to step down.

He is still professing to support a policy of zero tolerance for drugs and gangs and says he will not stand down.

JANE COWAN: Almost every member of the council got to their feet and asked Rob Ford to take a leave of absence to spare further damage to the city's reputation.

Councillor Jaye Robinson.

JAYE ROBINSON: We have grown increasingly concerned by the seemingly endless cycle of allegations, denials and belated admissions about your behaviour. Toronto is distracted.

JANE COWAN: In strange scenes, council business took on the shape of a very public therapy session.

COUNCILLOR 2: Mr mayor, do you think you have an addiction problem with substance abuse and illicit drugs?

ROB FORD: Absolutely not. I can assure you, I can assure you, I am not an alcoholic. I am not a drug addict. Have I drank? Have I done drugs? Yes, I have. But it's self inflicted.

JANE COWAN: The mayor said a photo taken outside an alleged crack house was a one-off picture with people he didn't know.

ROB FORD: They're in court now. I'm not part of gang bangers. I do not support them. But when someone comes out and says let's take a picture, I will take a picture. I met those people once and I have never seen them again.

JANE COWAN: But councillors took aim at his refusal to cooperate with police.

COUNCILLOR 3: Do you not see how you, as the chief magistrate of this city, in saying that you will refuse to cooperate with the police, sets the wrong kinds of signals to our community.

JANE COWAN: And at the disconnect between the mayor's official drugs policy and his own personal conduct.

COUNCILLOR 4: Mr mayor, do you still have zero tolerance for drugs, guns and gangs?

ROB FORD: Absolutely.

COUNCILLOR 4: Mr mayor, can you tell me how that applies to you?

JANE COWAN: But Rob Ford is refusing to step down.

ROB FORD: Have I made mistakes councillor Thompson? You're absolutely right I've made mistakes. Personal mistakes. But these mistakes was not in this council chamber. It was in my personal life. I'm humiliated by it. But I cannot change the past, councillor Thompson. All I can do is move on and that's what I'm doing.

JANE COWAN: And for all the spectacle of what happened in the council chamber, it's basically symbolic. The council has no authority to remove Rob Ford unless he's convicted of a crime.